What to do if Baal Tefillah forgets Yaaleh ViYavoh and remembers during Sim...
A baal tefillah who forgets Yaaleh Viyavoh in his silent Shmoneh Esrei doesn't need to repeat Shmoneh Esrei, because he'll be yotzei with Chazaras HaShatz.If an individual forgets Yaaleh ViYavoh in...
View ArticleDavening Amidah quietly during Chazarat HaShatz
What is the custom when davening the amidah quietly. Assuming that someone is in the body of the amidah, I am aware that he has to stay quiet during kedusha, but if he is in Elokai netzor, he says...
View ArticlePraying for too much
The following Talmud passage (Taanit 8b) indicates we must not pray for too many things:In the days of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani there was a famine and a deadly plague. People asked: “What shall we do?...
View ArticleWhat is so special about "ve'sechezena" that it is the one word in bold in...
Practically every Siddur I've seen puts it in bold along with the first words of every blessing.Is there any reason for this?
View ArticlePraying Shemoneh Esrei with a big piece of spinach stuck between your teeth
Before saying the Amidah prayer, many men put on a hat and jacket. They want to look good before they address Hashem, the King of Kings.Imagine that you have a big piece of spinach stuck between your...
View ArticleSource for the permission to imagine Hashem as a person while davening
I have seen mentioned by a Rav the following regarding how we interact with Hashem during tefilah:"However, when we speak to Hashem, so for our benefit, He gives us permission to imagine that a...
View Article2 Oseh Shaloms for the price of one?
One finishes both Shmone Esre and Kaddish with the very same "Oseh Shalom", often including 3 steps back.One can say Kaddish before one said Shmone Esre's "Oseh Shalom"When the Kaddish definitely...
View ArticleThe famous Morid HaGeshem vs. Goshem debate as it relates to Morid HaTal
Just to establish some basic grammar rules quickly - if a word starts with two segols and is the end of a sentence, the first segol is often changed to a kamatz (one example of many in the Torah: Yefes...
View ArticleWhy do some people from Nusach Sefard say Shalom Rav only by Mincha - not by...
Every day, towards the end of שמונהעשרה for שחרית, after ברכתכהנים we say the ברכה of שלום. To be specific, we say שיםשלום, regardless of what נוסח you Daven. At מנחה and מעריב - people who Daven...
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Why does the 2nd Ata in Ata Gibor have different Emphasis?
Why does the 2nd "Ata" in Ata Gibor have the emphasis on the first syllable (AH-ta),unlike the 1st "Ata" which is pronounced as normal (ah-TA)?
View ArticleHow do the contemporary sources advise that one starts praying shmoneh esrei...
I understand that as Halachipedia puts itThe ideal mitzvah is to start praying shmoneh esrei of shacharit athanetz hachama (sunrise).Question part 1: How precise does one have to be with the time of...
View ArticleRushing Shmone Esrei to say Barchu
If one misses ברכו at מעריב , should he rush his שמונהעשרה in order to say it after Davening ?
View ArticleMaking mistakes in shemoneh esrei
Is it correct, that too many uncorrected mistakes during one's shemoneh esrei would make it lose its literal meaning, and therefore invalid and useless. Here, I am even excluding the errors that would...
View ArticleIf a woman arrives late, should she skip pesukei d’zimra to daven shemoneh...
There is a well-established practice for men to skip parts of pesukei d’zimrah to finish in time to daven shemoneh esrei with the tzibur. Should a woman also do this?
View ArticleApparent contradiction in the Aruch Hashulchan regarding the laws of the...
The Aruch Hashulchan (OC 47:16) asks how is it that one can fulfill the obligation of Birchas Hatorah by reciting the Brachah of “Ahavah Rabbah”, being that the main parts of a Brachah are the...
View ArticleMeaning of "Who maintains faith to those asleep in the dust"?
This phrase appears in the 2nd bracha of the amida: "Who maintains faith to those asleep in the dust". What does the phrase mean? For example, does it refer only to good people. If so, how good? If...
View ArticleWhen does a מעריב-misser say שמונהעשרה?
קצורשלחןערוך 21:1 describes what one should do who missed מעריב by accident:לאחרתפילתשחריתיאמרתחנוןואשריויתפללתפלתשמונהעשרהלשםערביתואחרכךיאמרלמנצחובאלציוןוכו׳After the prayer of שחרית, he should say...
View ArticleConnection of Karov to Tefillah
A number of commentaries on the siddur (Rabbeinu Yehuda Ben Yakar, Avudarham, and some others) explain in the 5th blessing of the amida ("וקרבנומלכנולעבודתך") that עבודתך refers to Tefillah, and that...
View ArticleShould converts say the thirteenth blessing differently?
The thirteenth blessing of Shemoneh Esrei states:on the righteous converts and on ourselves -- may Your compassion be aroused, Hashem, our God;As a convert, I find saying this odd. If the converts are...
View ArticleBeracha of Knowledge
We say in the 4th beracha of shemoneh esrei that G-d gave us knowledge and we thank him for this. Yes, obviously everything comes from G-d, but in the beginning of humankind we had no knowledge, and...
View ArticleWhy is a prayer leader still removed for omitting V'lamalshinim?
TL;DRThe Ashkenazi nusach of V'lamalshinim omits explicit mention of heretics. Therefore, recitation or omission of this blessing by the prayer leader seems to no longer serve as a signal for whether...
View ArticleWhy not Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob)?
I was wondering why we do not say "Abraham, Isaac and Israel", for example during the Amida. Why do we say Jacob, since his name was changed just as Abram's was?Thank you!
View ArticleAre there circumstances when one should repeat a prayer in which he had no...
Halichipedia writes One should have kavana (proper concentration) when praying Shemonah Esrei. If one is unable to have kavana for all of Shemonah Esrei one should make an extra effort to have kavana...
View ArticleAuthorship / Derivation of the Yehi Ratzon יְהִירָצוֹן at the End of the Amidah
In Nusach Ashkenaz we say at the end of each Amidah, a three phrase Yehi Ratzon for the rebuilding of the Bet HaMikdash (Temple).Can anyone shed light on(1) the authorship or derivation of this Yehi...
View ArticleHow do Karaites pray?
How do Karaites pray? If the text of the Amidah originated in the mishnaic period, do Karaites recognize it? If not, what do they daven?
View ArticleWhy "Lach" not "Lecha" in "Modim Anachnu Lach"
Could someone please explain why the "Lach" in Modim Anachnu Lach is not "Lecha"... I guess this is some grammatical point rather than the use of the feminime "you"?
View ArticleDo all combinations of optional segments work for the Amidah?
It is a known Halacha (the example below is from Kitzur Shulchan Oruch, 18) that you shouldn't mix words from different versions:Everyone should pray according to his [accustomed] form [of prayer],...
View ArticleWhat is the origin of "deah, binah, v'haskel"?
There are two nusachos with the fourth brocha in Shemoneh Esreh of which I am aware. One, extant today in nusach Ashkenaz, certain nusach Sefard, and Teman Baladi, and present in very old siddurim,...
View ArticleHow does praise connect to asking for healing in Shemone Esreh
Per nusach ashkenaz one says the following as part of ברכתרפאנו during the...
View ArticleBaruch Chai Olamim after Modim
During the Chazara, after the chazan says וכלהחייםיודוךסלה in Modim, many Sephardim have the custom of saying out loud ברוךחיעולמים. Where does this come from?
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